Minister camps outside in cold to spread message

LYME, New Hampshire (NECN) -- Reverend Steve Gehlert has slept outside the Lyme, New Hampshire Congregational Church each night this week, in frigid temperatures, to illustrate a point about homelessness.

"It's to help other people think about what homeless people are going through," Gehlert explained.

Gehlert said he is an experienced backpacker and camper. He has been spending his nights outdoors in two sleeping bags, enduring sub-zero cold several nights.

"It's a relentless situation that has to wear people down, because you get tired, your energy is drained, and every step of the way through the day is a struggle," Gehlert said of winter weather's impact on the homeless.